LU students attend Clinton Global Initiative University
Eight Lamar University students have been chosen to be part of a select group of college students to participate at the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) 2015. More than 1,000 innovative student leaders will gather this spring to seek new solutions to world challenges. The eighth annual CGI U meeting will take place March 6-8 at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., and will include hands-on workshops and seminars facilitated by former President Bill Clinton and other notable speakers.
“I personally am profoundly grateful that people care enough to show up and think of one more thing they can do to give one more person a better chance,” said Clinton. “And, I hope that next year, they want to do it again.”
Those chosen to attend are: Kristeen Reynolds, accounting; Joshua Barnes, mechanical engineering; Dougal MacGregor, communications; Charles Bray, communications; Joshua Wilson, computer science; Macy Fletcher, social work; Kirstie Thibodeaux, social work and Mohammad Nurul Azam, electrical engineering.
Reynolds and Barnes were selected to attend CGI U in 2014 for their work, titled “Carrying the World on our Backs.” That project focused on developing mobile origami-style shelters to help alleviate the homeless population in third-world countries and serve as first response tools in regions struck by natural disasters.
“This is an exciting opportunity for our students and their faculty mentors who have been involved in the various research projects that seek solutions for local, national and global problems,” said LU president Kenneth Evans. “We are very proud of our students who have been selected to be a part of this unique and committed organization.”
More than $900,000 in public funding is available to help students turn their ideas into Commitments to Actions. Throughout the year, and as a prerequisite of attending the CGI U meeting, students develop new, specific and measurable initiatives that address pressing challenges on campus, in local communities or around the world. These commitments include manufacturing wheelchairs for developing countries, establishing campus bike share programs, creating free vision clinics and developing e-learning applications for mobile phones.
Students focus their work in the areas of education, environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation and public health. For more information about CGI U, visit www.cgiu.org.
